Second half of second scene in The Scholar from the Other World

ENTER TOM FROM THE RIGHT, LOOKING OUT TOWARDS THE LEFT

TOM

Good day.

CURIO

Luck.

TOM

Good luck then. Have you, my good sir,

Observed a thieving, rotten cur

Go past here with a heavy sack,

A load of guilt upon his back?

CURIO

Guilt?

TOM

Look, look now: carrying a sack.

TOM MIMES IT

CURIO (VAGUELY AND SLOWLY AS IN A DREAM)

Just soon, soon now, sack on back,

Yes, mister, think that way he went,

Yes, sack on back, yes, goes all bent,

Yes, puff, puff, heavy, off he rushes,

Yes, over there, in bushes... bushes.

CURIO POINTS LEFT

TOM

By hell, he's going o catch it now;

His jaw will feel my bare fist's power!

HE WACKS HIS FIST ON HIS HAND

Good fellow, please look to my horse;

For through the swamps and bushes here, my course

Must be on foot. When I lay hand

On that sly character I'll land

A gift on him to make him speed

Right back to paradise indeed!

And friend, just let me promise you,

He'll be too sore for confession too.

CURIO

Have, have to, have to wait, to wait,

Not short time, wait long, wait till late,

For holy man, he give advice

To road up high, for paradise.

So keep horse, horse keep, yes, no worry,

Keep horse, yes, you go, need no hurry.

TOM

Here is a penny for your trouble,

And I'll be back here on the double.

TOM EXITS IN GREAT HASTE

CURIO (WATCHING HIM GO)

Most... glad... to... earn

SUDDENLY CHANGING AS TOM OUT OF HEARING

a horse from you!

Fair fortune smiles on me, it's true!

She comes to ease my weary limbs;

I'm but a servant to her whims.

POINTING HIS THUMB TO THE RIGHT, THEN TO THE LEFT

For one gives gold for heaven's poor,

And one grants rides to heaven's door.

I'm very grateful anyway;

Such helpful people, I must say.

It's not so often that you find

Kind couples, or couples of a kind!

HE TAPS HIS HEAD

I wonder how he's going there?

The ground is soft, he'd best beware.

LOOKING LEFT

He'll slip if he's not careful. Oh, dear,

He's sinking in the bog, I fear.

He's floundering, can't turn about.

His heavy boots won't let him out!

Now he who doesn't want to pay

Must be away without delay!

If my good friend were to come back

He'd beat me red and blue and black

And steal away my precious sack.

HE PULLS OUT THE SACK

Upon my Pegasus I'll fly

Until I reach that inn that I

Passed by with empty purse before-

For when I passed its welcome door

A hanging wooden sign I read;

The "Paradise" was what it said.

And so to "Paradise" I'll rise,

Where fat fowls roast by the fireside;

And there I'll leave my sponsor so:

POINTING LEFT

To wade back through the bog below.

Before he pays back my advice,

I must fly straight to "Paradise"!

CURIO (SINGING TO HIS ORIGINAL TUNE AS HE EXITS RIGHT WITH SACK)

To paradise I fly, to paradise on high,

Indeed, a scholar from the other world am I!

To paradise on high, to paradise I fly,

With heaven's gifts of goods, and gold to see me by!

AS HIS VOICE FADES, THE SCENE DARKENS.